WASHINGTON, D.C. —This afternoon, Pass the Torch members will appear in front of the White House to call on President Biden to step aside for the good of the Democratic Party and the country.
DETAILS:
- WHAT: In an escalation of ongoing Democratic calls for President Biden to step aside, Democratic voters, activists, and organizers will be holding an in-person demonstration at the White House to urge President Biden to pass the torch so Democrats can nominate a new presidential ticket with a better chance of defeating Donald Trump.
- WHEN: TODAY, Saturday, July 20th, 3:00 p.m. ET
- WHERE: The White House
Ahead of the planned demonstration, Aaron Regunberg, a Pass the Torch Steering Committee member, issued the following statement:
“For years Democrats have been calling this an existential election. That’s not a talking point – it’s the truth. We need a presidential nominee who has the best chance to beat Trump, and an increasingly large majority of Democrats believe that President Biden is not that candidate and should step aside. Tens of thousands of Democratic voters have made phone calls, sent emails, and held actions in battleground states through Pass the Torch. But the President still hasn’t gotten the message. That’s why we’re organizing something that’s harder to ignore—a demonstration in front of the White House. Because we have not resigned ourselves to a second Trump presidency. We still have time to avert catastrophe and change course.”
More information on Pass the Torch:
Pass The Torch is a newly formed group mobilizing Democratic voters to urge President Biden to pass the torch to a new ticket that has a better chance of beating Donald Trump. Pass the Torch is an all volunteer organization made up of current and former Democratic elected officials, advocates, community organizers, delegates to the 2024 Democratic National Convention, and everyday voters.
In the days since the group formed after the June 27 presidential debate, Democrats across the country have come together to contact Congress nearly 30,000 times via phone calls and online actions through the Pass the Torch website.
Pass the Torch is launching a TV ad with a message targeted specifically to President Biden. The ad is in Washington, D.C. and Rehoboth, Delaware on Morning Joe (Biden’s favorite show) and during daytime MSNBC programming. The spot, which can be viewed here, features Democratic voters from Lancaster, Pennsylvania—all of whom volunteered to elect Biden in 2020—urging Biden to pass the torch.
Pass the Torch is also organizing delegates across the country—like Rob Moore, Los Gatos Councilman and delegate from California—to push back against a rushed virtual vote reportedly being planned by the Democratic National Committee weeks ahead of the party’s convention.
Pass the Torch has raised money from over 350 individual Democratic donors to fund its operations and to donate to the new nominee. Much of the money raised through its website is set aside on a platform for Democrats who don’t want to invest in Biden anymore but want to keep contributing to a new Democratic ticket. Those funds will go to the eventual nominee. Full funder information will be available through our FEC filing.
Pass the Torch is organized through a volunteer steering committee. Members are available for media interviews upon request.
- Wendy Lawton – Oregon resident, Steering Committee Member, former Fairview, Oregon City Councilor.
- Tiara Mack – Rhode Island State Senator, Steering Committee Member.
- Aaron Regunberg – Rhode Island resident, Steering Committee Member, former Rhode Island State Representative
- Chris Chyung – Former Indiana State Representative, Steering Committee Member
- Clint Keaveny – Wisconsin resident, ‘Pass the Torch, Joe’ viral star
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